Man slapped wife so hard he fractured her nose, court told

A Marsaxlokk resident has denied having slapped his wife in the face so hard that he fractured her nose during a domestic row.

Inspector Omar Zammit arraigned the 45-year-old man before magistrate Marseanne Farrugia on Monday, charging him with grievously injuring the woman and causing her to fear violence, as well as attacking and insulting her.

He told the court that the woman had filed a police report on March 23, claiming that her husband had attacked her during an argument at their home. Her injuries were classified as grievous per durata. 

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

His lawyer, Lennox Vella, requested that the man be granted bail, to which the prosecution did not object, as long as the defendant was prohibited from communicating with his wife and his nine-year-old child, who is also a prosecution witness.

The prosecution requested that a protection order be issued should the man be released from arrest.

Magistrate Farrugia upheld the bail request, ordering the man to surrender his ID card and passport and sign a bail book twice a week. The court ordered that his adherence to those conditions be secured by a €7,000 deposit and issued the requested protection order.

Inspector Omar Zammit prosecuted, assisted by lawyer Alessia Schembri from the Office of the Attorney General. Lawyer Lennox Vella is defence counsel.